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Drinking cocoa 'fights dementia'

A nightly cup of cocoa could help stave off Alzheimer’s, scientists claim.

Tests showed that a specific type of cocoa stops clumps of proteins from building up in the brain and damaging nerve cells – causing the disease to progress.

Lavado cocoa is full of polyphenols, antioxidants which are also found in fruit and vegetables, with past studies suggesting that they prevent degenerative brain diseases. The team also tested the effects of extracts of Dutched and Natural cocoa, but Lavado, which has the highest levels of polyphenols, was found to be most effective at combatting the build up of harmful proteins.

Because loss of synaptic function may have a greater role in memory loss than the loss of nerve cells, rescue of synaptic function may serve as a more reliable target for an effective Alzheimer's disease drug, said study leader professor Giulio Maria Pasinetti.